One Chance
by geehtar
Summary: Lauren has had enough and is taking things in her own hands. Bo is seeing a side of Lauren she hadn't before and doesn't know how to help... or feel.
1. Chapter 1

First Story! Just an idea I've been toying with…

I'll continue if it receive good reviews.

Insert Disclaimer Here: All characters… blah blah blah…

Lauren's throat now burned, but she didn't care. She threw back another swig and let its presence fill her chest and lungs. It was bitter, really; not just speaking of the taste of the alcohol, but the predicament she found herself in. Yes, there was the discovery of another world. The discovery of the Faes and the divide. There was Nadia and the curse. Her role in all of it… And there was Bo. She lingered on the thought of the other woman for a second longer, before snapping away from that dangerous path.

She looked at the now half-empty glass loosely hanging in her hand, and placed it delicately back down on the bar. No, what she was talking about was the fact that these crazy happenings and discoveries used to shake her down to her core, but now she found herself - more often than not - numb from it all. She exhaled. It was bitter, alright, that the only time she felt grounded, connected and not weighed down - the only time she was able to feel anything nowadays - was when her palms held a cold glass. Then she felt like she was… here… finally able to exist.

There were other instances from other sources… however brief. A soft smile unconsciously touched her lips as she marveled at the contrasting feel of the glass to the woman's skin. She recalled the warmth she felt on her palms and how different it was from the biting cold she now cupped in both hands.

"It's an age-old remedy."

Lauren was snapped from her thoughts. Looking up to find the owner of the voice, she found Trick eyeing her quizzically.

"What is?" Lauren asked, glancing away with a little embarrassment for her thoughts. After composing herself, she looked back at the barkeep that now stood in front of her on the other side of the bar.

"That right there," Trick motioned towards her glass with a nod of his head. "Age-old remedy passed down from my family, generation to generation."

Lauren, knowing Trick was setting her up, asked "What does it cure?"

"Bad days and heartbreaks… Beer brewers have been hunting my family for its recipe for years!"

Lauren could not help but smile.

"See, it's working already…" Trick said with more playfulness. He watched as the woman's smile left her face as quickly as it had come. "…so which is it?" He inquired, now with seriousness.

Lauren looked up briefly at Trick, "Both…" She chuckled, "… and neither."

Trick remained silent, willing for the woman to continue.

"Every dead-end… every disappointment…" Lauren finally continued, sighing, "Everything stays the same. It's just… taking its toll."

Trick leaned in and looked the woman in the eyes, "You're beaten up, NOT beaten. Remember the difference."

Lauren downed the rest of her drink and stood up to leave. She reached over and squeezed the man's arm in gratitude. Trick placed his hand over hers as she was about to pull away to still her movements, "Look Doc… as your friend, I can't NOT try to steer you away from this path. I'm willing to help you as much as I can… But this? You're walking a very fine and very dangerous line that even I can't protect you from."

Lauren slipped her hand out from underneath the barkeep's hand and grabbed her jacket off the stool next to hers. "It's been five years, Trick. Five years of getting beat up… It's time I start fighting back."


	2. Chapter 2

First Story! Just an idea I've been toying with…

I'll continue if it receive good reviews.

Insert Disclaimer Here: All characters… blah blah blah…

CHAPTER 2

The Dal was packed for a Tuesday night and the aura in the room was intense. "Shit." Bo muttered to herself as she stood on her tip-toes to see if she could spot Kenzi's whereabouts, much to no avail. A very large ogre-looking man blocked her view of most of the bar so she decided to brave the crowd. Having no… umm… "access" to chi was tougher on nights like these where her primal first instinct was to read a room.

Bo weaved in and out of the bodies cluttering the bar floor to scan for Kenzi. The dizzying energy surrounding her caused her to become disoriented and the maze that they formed did not help either. After realizing where she stood, she decided to make a bee-line for the bar… After all, if you had a lifetime pass for free drinks, where would you be?

Upon nearing the bar where she expected Kenzi to be up to no good, Bo was surprised to see a woman with a head of golden hair sitting in front of Trick. Though it looked vaguely familiar, Bo dismissed the idea as it was impossible. She saw no mafioso type floating around and… well… with the energy being this high, she didn't quite trust that she was thinking with her higher processes.

As she continue to look about, she saw the woman kick back her drink and stand up; that was when Bo was allowed a view of the woman's slender face. Her breath caught in her chest for a split second before the questions flooded her mind.

_What was Lauren doing here? Why was she alone with no douche-baggy type hanging about? And why this late at night?_

She kept her eyes on Lauren as her feet started to carry her in the woman's direction. Bo watched as Lauren put her hand on Trick's arm and he placed his hand over hers in return. She observed their serious exchange as she quickened her pace towards the bar, weaving in and out of people crossing her path and those standing in the way. As she neared the bar, she saw the woman pull away and grab her jacket. That was when the same ogre-looking guy stood in her path…

"Hey baby… I've never been with a succubus.."

Bo pushed past Shrek and took the last remaining steps to where she was sure to meet…

No one.

Trick had her back to her, wiping a glass down.

"Where's Lauren?" Bo yelled at Trick's direction.

The barkeep following the voice looked around. "Where's Lauren? Where did she go?" She asked again, making a point to not sound as frantic as she felt.

"Lauren? I didn't see…" Trick started.

"Don't…" Bo interrupted, not willing to be lied to. "I know she was here." She knew because the woman's aura still lingered where she now stood. Not the same aura that kept her up at night, in her bed, where the sheets were a constant reminder. Or the aura that made her heart skip or her breath catch. But she knew it none the less – this was Lauren. It was like honey, to match her hair. Soft, sweet and unmistakable. She quickly scanned the room and saw the Private Entrance door that leads to Trick's back quarters and cellar swing shut. Bo ran…

After searching quickly yet thoroughly through the back, Bo found herself outside, at the intersection with no clue where to go. Only one way to go, anyway… back to the bar to get some answers.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Lauren looked at her watch and exhaled slowly in an attempt to slow down her rapidly beating heart.

_Thirty seconds, _she thought to herself as she hugged her jacket closer to her body. Hidden within the shadows of a giant oak tree, she slowly peeked around to spot the entrance to the compound a couple of meters northeast of her location. There, stood two guards, one on each side of the road in front of the massive steel gates. Surrounding the rest of the compound was a ten foot wall of bricks with plants and vines wrapping around it. It reminded Lauren of spiderwebs; amazing in its design, pretty to look at, but always a bitch to get through. Not that a ten foot wall wasn't hard enough.

She quickly looked at her watch to note the time, a furrow settling on her brow. _The guards should be changing shifts by now... _she thought.

Closing in on two minutes past the intended time, Lauren finally saw a black hummer approach.

"Had to take a leak!" The guard exiting the passenger seat defended as the other two muttered their annoyance. The other guard got out of the drivers seat and handed them the keys to the vehicle. He then reached into his pocket and walked towards his buddy.

Lauren, spotting the movement, readied herself. She saw the hummer pull away and waited for the other two to resume their daily regime. The new guard took out a pack of cigarettes, and after trapping one between his lips, turned away from the direction of Lauren to offer one to the other guard.

Lauren made a run for the compound. Her feet beat on the grass in time with her rapid heartbeat as she dashed the 50 feet between the tree and her prison. A quick glance halfway in her sprint told her that the guards were still huddled together now sharing a lighter. Lauren did not slow down as she covered the remaining distance. She did not slow down as she slid into a small gap between two bushes. She did, however, come to a painful halt when her shoulder violently hit the brick wall, a grunt escaping her lips on impact.

Lauren allowed herself a couple of seconds to regroup, rubbing her now throbbing arm and leaning her head back against the compounds cold exterior. Finally removing herself from her leaned position, she fished out gloves from her jacket pocket and mentally prepared herself for the grueling task ahead. Grabbing a hold of a handful of the thick vine, she gave it one good tug. Feeling it's strength, she planted one foot in a gap in the vines and proceeded to pull herself up.

* * *

><p>"Woah BoBo... What's with the Rambo scowl?" Kenzi asked, closing the headquarters door.<p>

Bo plopped down onto the couch, rotating her neck in an attempt to cool her head. She exhaled, "I'm sorry Kenzi. I'm just... I don't know. I know something's up with Lauren and... Trick is not telling me anything."

"What do you mean?" Kenzi asked, sitting on the armrest next to Bo.

"Lauren was at the Dal. I saw her at the bar, talking to Trick. It looked pretty serious." Bo continued, looking at Kenzi, "She had none of the Ash bodyguards with her and she left through the back door. I tried to ask Trick about it but..."

"... He was being Trick." Kenzi finished. "Maybe it's just more Nadia-research stuff..." She said trailing off, "Are you sure this is just about that? I mean I know you two just haven't had 'the talk'..." Kenzi's finger went up to mimic bunny ears, "... and I know this hasn't been easy for you."

Bo stayed silent, caught by surprise at her friend's insight. But that was Kenzi, she was thoughtful and insightful... when she wanted to be. Bo sighed, "Yes, fine… It does have to do with that too I guess… It's not like I can just call or drop by at anytime anymore… But more than that, I just really have a bad feeling. I can't explain it."

Kenzi was silent for a moment, absent-mindedly looking at a spot on the floor, when an idea popped to her head, "But you know who can?" She teased. Kenzi brought her hands up in a claw-like position and growled at Bo. Bo would have laughed had it not been so utterly brilliant. She reached into her pocket and dialed.

"Dyson… I need a favor…" Bo started.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry took so long to update. I wanted to see where the series was heading to see if could intertwine this story to the main storyline… after being disappointed with the series' direction, I've decided to just continue out on my own. Hope you enjoy… and review!

* * *

><p>"No." Dyson said firmly, not lifting his head from the file he was reading.<p>

"Come on, Dyson. I can't do it without your help…" Bo pleaded leaning forward and planting both palms on Dyson's desk.

Dyson leaned back on his chair and looked up at Bo, "I'm not going to be a part of… whatever you have going on with Lauren. My answer is not going to change overnight."

"Yes I heard you loud and clear… right before you hung up on me…"

"Here we were thinking you were domesticated." Kenzi muttered absent-mindedly, earning her a cold glare from both Dyson and Bo.

"And she's not helping your case any." Dyson stood up and walked to the file cabinet, pulling out another file.

Bo pursued, " What I was saying… before we were rudely interrupted…" looking over her shoulder at Kenzi who shrugged in indignation. "…I heard you loud and clear… right before you hung up on me… but I don't think you heard me. This is serious. Something is not right..."

"Hey, hot mama." Hale walked in smiling towards Kenzi and gave the woman a hug. He then approached Bo and Dyson. "How's it going." He said towards Bo with a nod while handing Dyson another file, "Sorry to interrupt, but… duty calls."

"Is this it?" Dyson asked.

"Yup. Same MO, same timeline… everything checks out too well for it to be a coincidence." Hale answered.

"What are you guys working on?" Bo asked Hale.

"You know … deceit, intrigue, murder… the usual fae mysteries…"

"Business as usual then." Bo quipped.

"So let's make the call…" Dyson said, looking up from the file.

"Okay but…"

"But?"

"It's still all circumstantial evidence."

"You just said it was too much of a coincidence…"

"… For a cop whose skills are as awesome as mine," Hale said jokingly, rubbing his jaw for extra effect. Bo and Kenzi silently chuckled, then seeing Dyson's unchanging expression, he continued "But what we have will never stand up in court. We need the weapon… we need for him to tell us where it is."

"If only…" Kenzi drawled out, slowly approaching the trio, "someone could get him to confess the whereabouts of this so called tool of death. Maybe someone whose powers of persuasion are so great that he would have no choice but to disclose the truth of its location… hmm… why hello Bo!"

Bo looked back at Dyson, "I help you with this… you help me with Lauren." And before he could reply, both women turned around, exchanged a high five and walked towards the interrogation room.

Dyson and Hale stood staring after them. Dyson with his arms crossed and head shaking, Hale looking perplexed by what just transpired.

"You just got played… didn't you." He said, more of a statement than a question.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Dammit!" Lauren shut the 6,000 year old book heavily and pounded her fist down upon it in frustration.

Running her hand through her hair, she let out a gust of breath. She stared blankly at nothing in particular before snapping herself out of her self-imposed haze. Rolling her eyes and inhaling, she tugged at her lab coat to regain her composure. She grabbed the corner of the book she had violently shut and opened it at the beginning intending to start again.

"Knock knock..."

Lauren felt a jolt in her chest. Lifting her head, she turned towards the direction of the familiar voice. There she spotted a dark-haired woman, her arm up and leaning on the entry way of the lab. Her eyes dark with intensity she can't read and full lips slightly parted with breath she longed to feel. A smile unknowingly tugged at her lips at the sight of the other woman, "Hey…" she said before fully turning her body around on the stool.

Lauren followed the movement of the woman's hips as she walked in before looking up and meeting her gaze. She absent-mindedly readjusted her lab coat and looked away to save herself the embarrassment of being caught. Had she not looked away, she would have seen the smile that pulled at the other woman's lips; half in shyness, half in satisfaction.

"Wow… some light afternoon reading?" Bo asked jokingly, attempting to shift the focus on something other than the tension building in the air. Though she came with the intent of getting straight to the truth, she found that once around Lauren, her composed, gung-ho attitude and full-proof plan flew right out the window. Instead she found herself stumbling around in her head… and her heart. It made her uncomfortable, yes; but also slightly frustrated at herself since this wasn't the first time, and much to her fears, may not be the last.

"Just… research…" Lauren responded, finally facing Bo.

Bo nodded, "Anything I can do to help?"

Lauren responded, "You already are…"

Both women slightly shifted at the weight of those words.

"I've been through this book front to back… I don't know how many times… and… I just know I'm missing something." Lauren continued to ease the tension.

A frown formed on Bo's brows, "You should slow down… Sleep… Eat…"

"There's no time for that…" Lauren interrupted, "Everyday I don't find a cure…" She trailed off, not wanting to unravel.

_Is another day I spend without Nadia… _Bo painfully finished in her head. The sting of those unspoken words forced her to look down… anywhere but at Lauren, in fear that the woman would see. What else could she mean? Nadia, after all was the driving force behind Lauren's sacrifice.

"Enough about me… Is everything okay?" Lauren asked. The fact that Bo was in her office despite her current state of being heavily monitored now just rising to full consciousness.

"Well… no…" Bo replied, looking back at Lauren.

"Are you hurt?" Lauren impulsively took a step closer and reached out to caress Bo's hair, worry etched on her face. She then let her fingers slide into its strands to distractedly move them aside. Her hand stopped on the curve of Bo's neck with her thumb resting on the woman's cheek. With her head tilted, her eyes proceeded with their course; thoughtfully examining her from head to toe.

Bo froze – rather, she did not want to move. She responded to the doctor's touch by unconsciously tilting her head to allow more access for the woman's thumb to linger on her cheek. Her heart pounded as she watched Lauren's eyes trace the contours of her body – jawline, shoulders, breast, hips, legs… Bo had to swallow the lump forming in her throat. She knew the doctor was just checking for any sign of violence, but the intensity in which the woman examined her – and knowing their shared history – made it feel all the more intimate.

"No it's nothing like that…" Bo finally was able to mutter. An act she soon regretted as the doctor's hand retreated and she stood at her usual – distant – posturing.

Lauren caught herself standing a little too close for comfort in front of Bo and moved back to allow a more comfortable – less intimate distance between them. "Oh…" She fidgeted in embarrassment, "Sorry… I thought…"

"No, no… it's okay…" Bo quickly defended. "Actually I came here to talk.. about _you_…"


End file.
